Artist Profile: Gina Keatley

Origin: New York, NY, USA
Currently Exhibiting in: New York City

Website: Untamed Moderns

Social Media: Instagram

Gina Keatley: A Vanguard of Modern Artistic Exploration

Gina Keatley, a New York-based artist, infuses her work with raw intensity and unconventional techniques, such as using a kabuki makeup brush to create dynamic, stabbing marks on canvas. Her signature rapid, repeated motions give her pieces a visceral texture, embodying the tension and persistence of the creative process. Known for her bold, textured surfaces and dramatic interplay of dark and vibrant hues, Keatley’s work explores the depth of human emotion and the complexity of the subconscious.

Her portfolio includes a diverse range of series, each reflecting a unique narrative:

  • Bone Series: A minimalist exploration of resilience and transformation, defined by monochrome tones and vibrant mandarin orange.
  • Glimpse Series: Unveiled in Spring 2024, this collection captures fleeting moments and the ephemeral essence of human emotion.
  • Atmospheric Fauna: Recently acquired in full by the New Paradigm Institute, this series reimagines UFO and UAP phenomena as living, organic entities, transcending conventional perceptions with acrylic, shredded paper, and mixed media.
  • Più Series: Reflects the historic and modern Italian-American experience, emphasizing growth, cultural exploration, and creative passion.
  • Sow Series: A bold reflection on persistence and force, this collection delves into the physical and emotional struggle required for progress, highlighted by Keatley’s signature circular, stabbing motions across the canvas.

Keatley’s work, often marked by monochrome and mandarin orange, invites introspection and personal connection, offering a rich narrative of both personal and collective human experience. From the foundational “Bone Series” to the powerful “Sow Series,” her art continues to challenge perceptions and provoke thought.


Featured Artworks at Bushwick Gallery

1. Spiral Surge

Year of Creation: 2024
Medium: Acrylic
Dimensions: 48 inches x 48 inches
Sale Price: $4,600 USD
Edition Type: Unique, 1 of 1
Current Location: New York, NY, USA

Description:
Spiral Surge captures the viewer’s attention with its bold and textured surface, created through the rapid, stabbing motions of a kabuki makeup brush. The dark, swirling forms are not smooth but marked with sharp, intense strokes, adding a layer of aggression and force to the composition. The piece is dominated by blacks and grays, with subtle hints of color beneath the surface, creating a sense of tension and movement. The stabbing brushwork gives the painting a raw, almost physical presence, reflecting the turmoil and energy within. Spiral Surge embodies Keatley’s exploration of the internal forces that drive us, expressed through a highly tactile and dynamic form.


2. Nocturnal Currents

Year of Creation: 2024
Medium: Acrylic
Dimensions: 24 inches x 24 inches
Sale Price: $2,600 USD
Edition Type: Unique, 1 of 1
Current Location: New York, NY, USA

Description:
Nocturnal Currents is a smaller, more intimate work that conveys the hidden flow of thoughts and emotions through Keatley’s signature stabbing brush technique. The deep blues and blacks are punctuated by lighter flashes, creating the impression of movement beneath the surface. The rapid, forceful strokes with the kabuki brush create a textured, almost tactile feel, drawing the viewer into the quiet intensity of the piece. It is a meditation on the subconscious currents that flow through our minds in the stillness of night, with every mark carrying the weight of unseen emotions.


3. Hidden Strata

Year of Creation: 2024
Medium: Acrylic
Dimensions: 24 inches x 24 inches
Sale Price: $2,600 USD
Edition Type: Unique, 1 of 1
Current Location: New York, NY, USA

Description:
Hidden Strata explores the layered depths of the mind, with each mark on the canvas revealing a hidden element beneath the surface. Keatley’s use of the kabuki brush creates a rugged, textured effect, as if each stroke is uncovering something buried within. Dark tones dominate the piece, with subtle flashes of color suggesting moments of clarity or revelation. The stabbing motion leaves behind a pattern of deliberate, forceful marks that evoke the process of peeling back layers of thought and emotion. Hidden Strata invites viewers to reflect on their own buried experiences, challenging them to confront what lies beneath the surface.


4. Eroding Boundaries

Year of Creation: 2024
Medium: Acrylic
Dimensions: 24 inches x 24 inches
Sale Price: $2,600 USD
Edition Type: Unique, 1 of 1
Current Location: New York, NY, USA

Description:
Eroding Boundaries captures the sensation of barriers dissolving and emotions spilling through. The piece is composed of sharp, stabbing strokes, applied with the kabuki makeup brush to create a sense of tension and release. Dark colors dominate the composition, with vibrant oranges breaking through, symbolizing moments of clarity or breakthrough amidst chaos. The rapid, forceful marks give the painting a sense of urgency, as if the boundaries between thoughts and emotions are breaking down in real-time. Keatley’s use of texture and the physicality of her technique bring a raw, emotional depth to the piece, inviting viewers to experience the dissolution of internal walls.


Exhibition Information

Group Exhibition: “Specters of the Subconscious”

Opening Reception: Thursday, October 17 / 6PM-8PM
Exhibition Dates: October 17 – October 28, 2024
Theme: This exhibition explores the eerie and surreal aspects of the mind, from dreamscapes to unspoken fears. Gina Keatley’s works, with their intense physicality and emotionally charged compositions, provide a compelling contribution to the theme, inviting viewers to confront the unseen forces at play within themselves.